Post-tensioned construction frame



Jan. 25, 1966 s. DIXON POST-TENSIONED CONSTRUCTION FRAME Filed Dec. 4,1962 45 Fig}! 35 6/0 we! Dixon INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,230,676 POST-TENSEONED CUNSTRUCTION FRAME GloverDixon, Miami, Fla, assiguor to Feathertouch Concrete Products, Inc., acorporation of Florida Filed Dec. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 242,153 2 Claims.(Cl. 52204) The present invention generally relates to a constructionframe of concrete capable of being used with various building openingssuch as window, door, air-conditioner frame or any other openingsrequiring a frame.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a construction frameof concrete which is manufactured and transported while in its knockeddown condition and assembled at the site of construction with theconcrete components of the frame being post-tensioned.

Another very important object of the present invention is to provide aconstruction frame of lightweight concrete of various commerciallyavailable types in which various aggregates, such as pearlite, may beused which enables nails to be more readily driven into the frame whendesired.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lightweightconcrete construction frame which may be used either indoors or outdoorsand, of course, avoids rotting which occurs when wood frames are used.Further, the frame is rigid but since no weight is directly appliedthereto, the frame need not be particularly structurally strong.

Yet another important feature of the present invention is to provide aconcrete construction frame including a bottom sill member, a top headerand two side members or jambs in which the sill and header butt into theside members or jambs rather than just resting thereon.

Still another important feature of the present invention is to provide aconcrete construction frame constructed of lightweight concrete andincluding reinforcing rods in each component thereof with thereinforcing rods in the sill and header having threaded ends andprojecting through suitable metallic or plastic sleeves in the sidemembers for enabling the components of the frame to be rigidly securedtogether with enough tension to hold the frame rigid. The openings whichreceive the threaded ends of the reinforcing rods on the header and sillare oval-shaped for assisting in aligning and plumbing the componentswith relation to each other.

Yet another feature of the present invention is to provide a concreteconstruction frame in which the threaded nuts engaging the ends of thereinforcing rods are recessed into pockets formed in the outer surfaceof the side members. Also, the side members are provided with brick tiesorientated in a particular spatial relationship for reception in themortar joints between adjacent courses of building blocks such as bricksor the like.

Still another important feature of the present invention is to provide aconstruction frame of concrete having a sill of particular configurationenabling tile or other covering material to be readily applied to theinterior thereof.

Another patricular feature of the invention is the provision of alightweight construction frame that is manufactured and transported inits knockdown condition and is quickly and easily assembled at the pointof intsallation for providing a rigid frame of lightweight constructionthat is relatively easy to install and relatively inexpensive tomanufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accom- 3,2357% Patented Jan. 25, 1966 panying drawingsforming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like partsthroughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the frame of the present inventioninstalled in an opening in a building Wall;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view illustraing the construction ofthe frame;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the relationshipof the components of the frame; and

FIGURE 4 is a detailed sectional View on an enlarged scale takensubstantially upon a plane passing along section line 4-4 of FIGURE 1illustrating the structural details of the sill of the frame.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generallydesignates the construction frame of the present invention which isillustrated as being installed in an opening in a building wall 12constructed of a plurality of courses of building blocks such as bricks14 or the like which are joined together by a conventional mortar joint16.

The construction frame it includes a header 18, a sill 20 and a pair ofside members or jambs 22 which are interconnected to form a rigid openframe for Windows, doors, air conditioners or the like.

All of the components of the construction frame are constructed of alightweight concrete. Various aggregates may be employed in conjunctionwith the lightweight concrete depending upon the use of the frame. Forexample, pearlite may be used as an aggregate and with such aggregate,nails or other fastening devices may be readily inserted into the framewhen desired.

The header 18 is generally rectangular in cross-sectional configurationbut is provided with a depending longitudinal projection 24 on theunderside thereof. A pair of elongated reinforcing rods 26 are embeddedin the header 18 adjacent the vertical center thereof and spaced oneither side of the lateral center. The ends of the reinforcing rod 26project beyond the ends of the header 18 and each of the rods 26 isprovided with a threaded end portion designated by numeral 28 forreceiving a retaining nut 3d thereon.

The sill 20 is also of generally rectangular configuration and isprovided with an upwardly extending projection 32 extending throughoutthe length of upper surface thereof. The upper surface ofthe silldisposed outwardly of the longitudinal projection 32 is downwardlyinclined as designated by numeral 34 whereby any rain or water engagingthis surface will run downwardly and off of the sill in a conventionalmanner for frames employed in conjunction with windows, doors and thelike. The sill 20 is provided with a pair of reinforcing rods 36embedded therein which extend beyond the ends of the sill 20 andterminate in threaded end portions 38 for receiving retaining nuts 40thereon.

Each of the side members or jambs 22 is also generally rectangular incross-sectional configuration and provided with a longitudinalprojection 42 on the inner surface thereof with the ends of theprojection 42 being spaced inwardly of the ends of the side members 22 adistance equal to the height of the header and sill and the projections24 and 32 thereon respectively thereby enabling the ends of the header18 and sill 2t) to butt against the inner surface of the side members22. Each of the side members 22 has longitudinal reinforcing rods 44embedded therein and also transverse or lateral reinforcing rods 46 inthe end portions thereof.

The side members 22 include openings 48 extending through each endportion thereof for receiving the threaded end portions 28 and 38 of thereinforcing rods 26 and 36 respectively. Each opening 48 is defined by asleeve 50 of metallic or plastic material and the opening communicateswith a recess or pocket 52 at the outer end thereof which is ofsufficient depth to receive the retaining nuts 30 and 40 respectively.The opening 48 and the sleeve 50 in each instance is oval-shaped inconfiguration as illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 for self-centering or,plumbing the components of the frame when they are assembled. Asillustrated in FIGURE 2, the ends of the header 18 and sill 20 buttagainst the inner surface of the side members 22 and the retaining nuts30 and 40 are tightened sufficiently to hold the frame components inrigid relation to each other and this also will post-tension the silland header by compressing the same to a slight.

degree. The butt engagement of the ends of the sill and header againstthe inner surface of the side members will rigidify the frame and retainthe components thereof in perpendicular relation to each other.Recessing the retaining nuts and the threaded ends of the reinforcingrods enables the external surface of the frame to be maintained in asmooth condition insofar as projections of a rigid nature are concerned.Also, the transverse reinforcing rods 4-6 are orientated immediatelyabove the opening 48 where the side members would be the weakeststructurally thereby reinforcing this area where the greatest stress isapplied in view of the location of the tensioning rods 26 and 36.

Brick ties 54 are provided in the side members with the inner ends ofthe brick ties having an offset end portion 56 embedded in the concreteof the side members 22. The free end portion of the brick ties 54 arecorrugated or undulated for reception in the mortar joint 16 in themanner illustrated in FIGURE 1. The brick ties may be orientated atpredetermined space relationships for association with different typesof building blocks whereby the ties will be aligned with and received inthe masonry joint between adjacent courses of such blocks.

The inner top surface of the sill 20 is fiat and provides a support formastic and tile so that the application of tile to the frame is easilycompleted. This eliminates the extensive bed normally provided on thesill for supporting tile.

Also, when installing the frame there is no requirement to pour concretearound the frame in order to secure the frame in the building opening.In fact, the frame is assembled in the building wall prior to completionof the wall thus actually building the wall around the frame asillustrated in FIGURE 1.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shownanddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A construction frame comprising a pair of generally parallel sidemembers, a sill and header all constructed of cementitious material, theends of said sill and header being butted against the inner surface ofthe side members adjacent the ends thereof, each end of the sill andeach end of the header having a projecting threaded rod extendingaxially therefrom, each side member having openings formed thereinadjacent the ends thereof receiving the projecting rods, said openingsin said side members being of oval-shaped configuration and providedWith an ovalshaped sleeve for self-centering of the rods, the diameterof the rods being less than any diameter of said ovalshaped openings,and a retaining nut on the threaded end of each projecting rod securingthe side members and the sill and header in rigid assembled relation,each of said side members having a longitudinal projection on the innersurface thereof, said longitudinal projection being disposedintermediate the front and back surfaces of the side members, saidlongitudinal projections terminating in spaced relation to said openingsadjacent the ends of the side members, the sill and header each having alongitudinal projection on the inner surface thereof terminating flushwith the ends thereof and butting against said inner surfaces of theside members, each said longitudinal projection on said sill and headerbeing disposed intermediate the front and back surfaces thereof andhaving an inner edge surface spaced from said sill and header innersurface, the distance from the ends of the projection on said sidemembers to the nearest wall portion defining a part of anadjacent'opening being no greater than the distance from said inner edgesurface of the longitudinal projection on said sill and header to thenearest surfaces of the rods projecting from the ends thereof, the endsof the projections on the side members abutting against the inner edgesurface of the projections on the sill and header, thereby rigidifyingthe frame in perpendicular planes.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said side members are eachprovided with a plurality, of brick ties embedded therein and extendinglaterally therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,646,312 10/1927Perkins et a1 50122 X 1,985,328 12/1934 Rutten 50119 X 2,052,842 9/1936Powell 50-121 X 3,057,118 10/1962 Letowsky 50121 FOREIGN PATENTS 57,22910/ 1952 France.

(3rd add. to Pat. No. 907,704) 817,198 10/ 1951 Germany. 105,924 4/ 1918Great Britain. 589,745 6/ 1947 Great Britain. 111,556 8/ 1944 Sweden.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, HENRY C. SUTHERLAND,

Examiners.

1. A CONSTRUCTION FRAME COMPRISING A PAIR OF GENERALLY PARALLEL SIDEMEMBERS, A SILL AND HEATER ALL CONSTRUCTED OF CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, THEENDS OF SAID SILL AND HEADER BEING BUTTED AGAINST THE INNER SURFACE OFTHE SIDE MEMBER ADJACENT THE ENDS THEREOF, EACH END OF THE SILL AND EACHEND OF THE HEADER HAVING A PROJECTING THREADED ROD EXTENDING AXIALLYTHEREFROM, EACH SIDE MEMBER HAVING OPENINGS FORMED THEREIN ADJACENT THEENDS THEREOF RECEIVING THE PROJECTING RODS, SAID OPENINGS IN SAID SIDEMEMBERS BEING OF OVAL-SHAPED CONFIGURATION AND PROVIDED WITH ANOVALSHAPED SLEEVE FOR SELF-CENTERING OF THE RODS, THE DIAMETER OF THERODS BEING LESS THAN ANY DIAMETER OF SAID OVALSHAPED OPENINGS, AND ARETAINING NUT ON THE THREADED END OF EACH PROJECTING ROD SECURING THESIDE MEMBERS AND THE SILL AND HEADER IN RIGID ASSEMBLED RELATION, EACHOF SAID SIDE MEMBERS HAVING A LONGITUDINAL PROJECTION ON THE INNERSURFACE THEREOF, SAID LONGITUDINAL PROJECTION ON THE DISPOSEDINTERMEDIATE THE FRONT AND BACK SURFACES OF THE SIDE MEMBERS, SAIDLONGITUDINAL PROJECTIONS TERMINATING IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID OPENINGSADJACENT THE ENDS OF THE SIDE MEMBERS, THE SILL AND HEADER EACH HAVING ALONGITUDINAL PROJECTION ON THE INNER SURFACE THEREOF TERMINATING FLUSHWITH THE ENDS THEREOF AND BUTTING AGAINST SAID INNER SURFACE OF THE SIDEMEMBERS, EACH SAID LONGITUDINAL PROJECTION ON SAID SILL AND HEADER BEINGDIPSOSED INTERMEDIATE THE FRONT AND BACK SURFACES THEREOF AND HAVING ANINNER EDGE SURFACE SPACED FROM SAID SILL HEADER INNER SURFACE, THEDISTANCE FROM THE ENDS OF THE PROJECTIONS ON SAID SIDE MEMBERS TO THENEAREST WALL PORTION DEFINING A PART OF AN ADJACENT OPENING BEING NOGRETER THAN THE DISTANCE FROM SAID INNER EDGE SURFACE OF THELONGUTUDINAL PROJECTION ON SAID SILL AND HEADER TO THE NEAREST SURFACESOF THE RODS PROJECTION FROM THE ENDS THEREOF, THE ENDS OF THEPROJECTIONS ON THE SIDE MEMBERS ABUTTING AGAINST THE INNER EDGE SURFACEOF THE PROJECTIONS ON THE SILL AND HEADER, THEREBY RIGIDIFYING THE FRAMEIN PERPENDICULAR PLANES.